CodeBrave Web Dev Pilot Programme
Published on 19/10/2021
How the CodeBrave Web Dev Pilot Programme impacted the lives of our students
Our brilliant students Ahmad, Ayman, and Amal have been chosen for their passion, their dedication, and their hard work for the CodeBrave Web Dev Programme, which we proudly launched in August 2021, with Edupact, and Ketob B Ketob.
The lives of our students have been deeply impacted by the programme which fills the gap of inequalities amongst children from disadvantaged backgrounds. It teaches youth the necessary computer and life skills that will allow them to take charge of their future lives, and change the narratives of instability created by the insecure situation in Lebanon.
Meet our Three Star Students
First, there was Ahmad,
Ahmad is a 17-year-old from Nabatieh, who loves computers. He has been teaching himself coding for over a year now, focusing mainly on CSS and Java.
His father was running a nut shop in Khirbet Salem, but he recently passed away and Ahmad had to take sole responsibility for the shop.
But this did not slow Ahmad down. “It gives me great joy when I see myself creating my own programmes! The satisfaction of finally figuring out the solution to that one bug I had encountered in my programme is beyond anything I can describe”, he said enthusiastically.
During the CodeBrave Web Dev Programme, he was able to delve deeper into Python and was constantly requesting additional and more challenging homework.
At the end of the programme, CodeBrave was able to link Ahmad and his classmate, with an apprenticeship, where they built a new website for an American-Lebanese company, guided by their coding tutor Hani.
Ahmad is striving for a career as a Software Engineer and his enthusiasm for learning is growing stronger than ever.
Then came Ayman,
“Ayman*’s determination to join the class despite the technical issues he faced was amazing”, said Eliana, our STEM education manager.
Ayman used an old laggy tablet, and the laptop’s battery we loaned him didn’t always last long enough when the electricity went out all day.
Despite all that, Ayman managed to plan ahead and was always able to join the class and submit his assignments on time.
He reached out to Eliana for assistance in planning his mobile data subscriptions and usage so he could attend all of his lessons. He had a 100% attendance rate.
But technical issues were not the only obstacles he faced. Ayman’s English language skills made work more challenging, but he consistently pushed through by reaching out to his teacher May for support and ended up performing brilliantly on his final exam.
Ayman is only 14 years old!
And last but not least, our Amal,
Amal, on the other hand, was a complete beginner when she joined our CodeBrave programme.
She was excelling after only 14 lessons and Eliana was pleasantly surprised with her progress.
Amal, wanting to practice more, worked of her own accord, on two additional projects and created a “card-guessing” game and a “fortune-teller” game. And the best part is that these projects were totally her idea!
“I’m so happy with what these students have accomplished despite all the internet and electricity issues they’re facing! Their teacher, May, puts a lot of preparation into the lessons and cares so much that the kids get the most out of class. It’s rewarding to see that they’re truly appreciating their lessons and getting the most out of them, ” Eliana said.
What is the CodeBrave Web Dev Pilot Programme?
Since 2019, Lebanon has been undergoing consecutive crises, toppled with the COVID-19 pandemic. The financial situation has been detrimental to people in need and has severely threatened children’s right to education, by cutting off those who do not have access to digital skills and devices.
Many of these children do not have laptops or phones, and importing them is unattainable due to the collapse of the Lebanese Lira. Our CodeBrave Web Dev Programme aims at filling this gap by providing quality tech education to Lebanese students who are exceptional, committed, and severely lack opportunities. Our charity for children is committed to empowering them by teaching them the necessary tech skills of the future.
They learn Python, Web Development, as well as how to think critically and how to solve complex problems. These necessary skills allow them to continue their self-education and later secure work.
The programme is 8-weeks long, during which students aged between 14 and 17, receive a complete 24 hours of tutorials. In 2 to 1 tutorials, they learn from teachers who have Computer Science or Engineering Degrees, from top Lebanese universities, along with training in educational psychology.
Final thoughts,
It is heartwarming to see the lengths that these students will go to for education and the extra efforts that they are willing to put in, to have opportunities they wouldn’t have otherwise.
Our CodeBrave Web Dev Pilot Programme has successfully helped these young students and many others, by setting them up for a life of self-learning and progress.
We are currently looking for new students to join the CodeBrave Web Dev full programme starting in November. To fill an application, please email info@codebrave.org.
*Some students’ names have been changed to protect their identities.